A large number of service or utility conduits, including electrical, plumbing or gas conduits, are placed in the walls of buildings behind the wall sheeting, gypsum board, other wallboard or paneling covering the walls. Typically, this requires that the conduits pass through the generally vertical and horizontal individual support members or studs on which the wall sheeting is fastened.
In-wall, support member traversing routing of service conduits is convenient and enables an attractive, well-serviced room, but it also generates a long recognized problem. Specifically, since the overlying wall sheeting is usually nailed or screwed into place on the support framework, there is a substantial likelihood that the fasteners used to attach the sheeting material to studs will penetrate a conduit. Potential consequences include plumbing leaks, electrical problems and the expensive inconvenience of removing and replacing sections of finished wall.
Various attempts have been made to prevent damage to conduits running in walls. Such attempts are represented in the prior art and include cable protector plates of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,240,869 and 3,350,501. This type of plate has integral teeth that may be hammered or otherwise driven into a wall support member or stud. Somewhat similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,689,681 and 4,924,646 disclose wire or electrical protecting devices for being received in a notch formed in face of the stud. Two other protective devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,211,825 and 3,553,346. Like the protectors in the other cited patents, the protectors in the latter two patents are designed to be hammered or forced into the stud members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,205 discloses a protective shield for preventing a wall panel fastener from entering a utility service opening in a metallic-type wall stud. The shield has integral clips at the side edges thereof for resilient clamping engagement of the stud or framing member.
While the prior art, including the patents cited above, discloses refinements in protective devices for protecting conduits running through stud walls, there are some remaining problems. For example, many of the commercially available and prior art conduit protection devices are designed for use only in notches or cut out areas in the studs comprising a stud wall. Such devices may not work adequately for protecting conduits running in apertures in the generally central region of wall stud unless a receiving notch is first cut in the stud.
Another problem is that many of the prior art protective plates must be driven or hammered into engagement with a stud. To this end, many of the protective devices include integral spikes, punch-out securing tabs or clamp-type members requiring the use of tools for securing the plates in a selected location.
It would be advantageous if a protective plate could be provided with an integral securing means whereby the plate could be attached easily and quickly to any wall stud adjacent a conduit without requiring the use of any tools or modifications of the stud. Ideally, the plate would be as structurally simple, reliable and convenient as possible.
It would also be advantageous if the protective plates could be sold individually, one plate at a time, and if they could be made available in a convenient delivery means wherein a plurality of the plates are available for sequential application to studs along the length of a conduit running through the studs comprising a wall support system.
A stud shield for use with either wooden or metal stud wall systems, having an integral, easily used securing means for selectively and quickly adhering the stud shield in a selected location adjacent a conduit running through the stud wall would be a decided improvement over the protective devices disclosed in the prior art.